Vyclone: A Collaborative and Very Social Video App for the iPhone Launches

The video above (or that can be watched right here) was shot with two iPhones, it was uploaded over 3G, and then all edited together without a human having to do a thing. And it was all done in and by an app that is launching today called Vyclone.

The app, the brainchild of co-founders David Lassman and Joseph Sumner, is all about social video collaboration and sharing. And it's meant for those times when it would be valuable to get different views and perspectives on the same event or occurrence.

"Everyone is filming in isolation at events and posting it to YouTube. We should be creating something better together," Sumner, Vyclone's chief creative officer, told ABC News.

And that was actually the impetus for making the app.

Sumner, who happens to be the son of Sting, is a musician and a former member of the English band Fiction Plane. When he was performing, he would notice all the people in the audience holding up their phones, and he wanted to see all the footage in one place.

"I was performing in Lithuania and thought, We have to make a way for all these people to create something together without them really having to think about it."

And two years later Sumner and Lassman are hoping they have finally come up with the right app.

"Vyclone smashes together people recording in the same place and at the same time, takes those videos, synchronizes them, and sends back to those people involved in filming of that event an edited movie from every angle from which it was recorded," Lassman, who is CEO of the company, explained. "If you don't like the edit, you can then edit it yourself." Vyclone limits video to 60 seconds and only allows you to combine footage from four phones.

After you are done creating your Vyclone with your crew, you can share it in the app with others on the service and also directly Tweet it or share it on Facebook from the app. You can also download it to the phone and export it to YouTube.

So, how was the process of creating the video above with the app? It was fairly easy; we hit record at the same time and when it was done it began uploading. However, it wasn't without some hiccups.

We had trouble uploading the video over 3G (luckily, there's an option to upload later) and you'll also notice in the video that there was a third shooter. The footage captured by that third person didn't get added to the "crew," which combines all the Vyclone video in the surrounding area (or up to 120 feet).
Vyclone says that issue has to do with the GPS on the iPad not being accurate. You can see the location of your video shoot on a map in the app, which did in fact plot the iPad at a location down the street from the actual ABC studios.

You'll also notice that the sound in the video is wonky. While you can edit what video shows using a very basic editing interface, which is like a mini-control room, you cannot select what audio to use.

"Video is selected randomly right now, but we are engineering some more sophisticated algorithms that will be able to cut to whoever is talking," Lassman said.

The app isn't perfect, but the Vyclone founders admit they are still getting it right and want to focus on the iOS platform to do so. There is no Android app.

And there's certainly the investment to keep improving. The company has raised $2.7 million in funding, including investments from Ashton Kutcher's fund, Live Nation, and Dreamworks.

And the interest from the music industry could be its real ticket to success.

"In the concert experience – when we have a product designed for it, and there is one coming because the labels are all engaging with us on this -- we will strip out the audio and replace it with the artist's audio," said Lassman.

But concert or no concert, Vyclone is an app you'll want to try the next time you find yourself shooting video on your iPhone in the same room as others. It is available starting today in the Apple App Store for free.